Display input device, image forming apparatus and method of controlling display input device

Abstract

A display input device includes a display panel, a touch panel and a control portion. The display panel displays a software keyboard screen including a plurality of symbol keys, a switching key between a normal input mode and a simple selection mode and an input display field where an input signal is displayed. The control portion recognizes, as a correction candidate symbol, a symbol corresponding to the symbol key in which an outer peripheral region in the region of the symbol key is operated, brings, when the mode is transferred to the simple selection mode, into a selected state, any one of the correction candidate symbols among the symbols displayed in the input display field and replaces, when a correction is made, the symbol with a symbol after being corrected.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A display input device comprising:
 a control portion which includes a control circuit;   a display panel which displays, based on control by the control portion, a software keyboard screen including a plurality of symbol keys aligned for inputs of various types of symbols, a switching key for switching between a normal input mode and a simple selection mode and an input display field where a symbol corresponding to the symbol key that is operated is displayed; and   a touch panel which is provided for the display panel so as to detect a position touched by a user,   wherein the control portion
 adds, in the normal input mode, each time the symbol key is operated, the symbol corresponding to the symbol key that is operated into the input display field, 
 recognizes, when the symbol key is operated, as a correction candidate symbol, a symbol corresponding to the symbol key in which a predetermined outer peripheral region outside an inner region in a region of the symbol key is operated, 
 transfers, when the switching key is operated in the normal input mode, a mode of the display input device to a simple selection mode, 
 brings, when the mode is transferred to the simple selection mode, into a selected state, any one of the correction candidate symbols among the symbols displayed in the input display field and 
 replaces, when the symbol in the selected state is corrected, the symbol in the selected state in the input display field with a symbol after being corrected. 
   
     
     
         2 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display panel displays a direction key in the software keyboard screen, and   when in the simple selection mode, a plurality of the correction candidate symbols are included in the input display field, the control portion brings, when the mode is transferred to the simple selection mode, the correction candidate symbol located at a head into the selected state, and switches the correction candidate symbols which are to be brought into the selected state each time the direction key is operated.   
     
     
         3 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display panel displays a rightward direction key and a leftward direction key in the software keyboard screen, and   when the rightward direction key is operated, the control portion brings, into the selected state, the correction candidate symbol adjacent in a rightward direction to the correction candidate symbol that is brought into the selected state before the operation of the rightward direction key whereas when the leftward direction key is operated, the control portion brings, into the selected state, the correction candidate symbol adjacent in a leftward direction to the correction candidate symbol that is brought into the selected state before the operation of the leftward direction key.   
     
     
         4 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the simple selection mode, the control portion recognizes, as a specified symbol, the symbol corresponding to the symbol key which is operated, and brings, when any one of the symbol keys is operated, into the selected state, any one of the specified symbols among the symbols in the input display field.   
     
     
         5 . The display input device according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein when in the simple selection mode, a plurality of the specified symbols are included in the input display field, each time the symbol key corresponding to the specified symbol is operated, the control portion switches the specified symbols which are to be brought into the selected state.   
     
     
         6 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display panel displays the software keyboard screen including a deletion key, and   in the simple selection mode, the control portion replaces the symbol in the selected state in the input display field with the symbol corresponding to the symbol key which is subsequently operated after the operation of the deletion key.   
     
     
         7 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the switching key is operated in the simple selection mode, the control portion returns the mode of the display panel to the normal input mode, and replaces the symbol in the selected state in the input display field with the symbol corresponding to the symbol key which is first operated after the return to the normal input mode.   
     
     
         8 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control portion displays, on the display panel, the correction candidate symbol in a warning state which is different from a normal display.   
     
     
         9 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control portion displays, on the display panel, a region setting screen for setting sizes of the inner region and the outer peripheral region, and recognizes, based on the size of each of the regions set in the region selling screen, whether the touched position is the inner region or the outer peripheral region.   
     
     
         10 . The display input device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control portion switches display states of the switching key depending on whether the mode is the normal input mode or the simple selection mode.   
     
     
         11 . An image forming apparatus comprising the display input device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A method of controlling a display input device, the method comprising:
 displaying a software keyboard screen including a plurality of symbol keys aligned for inputs of various types of symbols, a switching key for switching between a normal input mode and a simple selection mode and an input display field where a symbol corresponding to the symbol key that is operated is displayed;   detecting a position touched by a user with a touch panel;   adding, in the normal input mode, each time the symbol key is operated, the symbol corresponding to the symbol key that is operated into the input display field;   recognizes, when the symbol key is operated, as a correction candidate symbol, a symbol corresponding to the symbol key in which a predetermined outer peripheral region outside an inner region in a region of the symbol key is operated;   transferring, when the switching key is operated in the normal input mode, a mode of the display input device to a simple selection mode;   bringing, when the mode is transferred to the simple selection mode, into a selected state, any one of the correction candidate symbols among the symbols displayed in the input display field; and   replacing, when the symbol in the selected state is corrected, the symbol in the selected state in the input display field with a symbol after being corrected.